BMW

BMW is a German automobile, motorcycle and airplane engine manufacturing company that was founded in 1916 and is located in Munich, Germany. It is by far one of the most respected brands in the history of automobile manufacturers and is one of the best-selling automobiles in the world. The special fascination for the BMW lies not only in its products and technology, but also in the company’s history that has been written by inventors, pioneers and brilliant designers. Today the company has 31 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries as well as a global sales network.

Because BMW came into existence during World War I, BMW was heavily involved with making plane engines and other parts. After the war, German companies were banned from producing any type of war related planes so the company shifted to motorcycles and then automobiles in 1928. The first car produced by BMW was under the Dixi badge, here is what it looked like:

The company has come a long way since the Dixi and the four-cylinder building of the BMW's headquarters in Munich pays tribute to the legacy of the company. Many people think that the logo is derived from a spinning propeller but it is really made up of the colors of the flag of Bavaria which is blue and white. But how about that distinctive, iconic grille, how did that come about. Well you will be interested to find out that the “kidney” grille has been around for a lot longer than you would think because it debuted on the 1933 BMW 303. In the late 1950’s BMW and Mercedes-Benz almost became a single company but the shareholders and even employees helped buyback enough shares to prevent the merger and we have all benefitted from that turn of events. Just take a look at the BMW 3-series for evidence that BMW makes the “ultimate driving machine”, their slogan for over 35 years.

Here’s a fun fact:

The designer, Giorgetto Giugiaro who designed BMW's M1, is the same designer who also created the Yugo, which was touted to be the worst car of the millennium.

So, we are in agreement that BMW is synonymous with luxury and opulence but how does it stack up against the competition, let’s take a look by comparing the BMW 3-series to others in this class:

Specification

2018 Audi S4

2018 BMW 3-Series

2018 Lexus IS

2018 Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Winner

Fuel Economy (city)

21 mpg

24 mpg

22 mpg

24 mpg

Fuel Economy (Highway)

30 mpg

35 mpg

32 mpg

33 mpg

BMW

Front Leg Room (in)

41.3

42

44.8

41.7

Lexus

Front Head Room (in)

38.9

40.3

38.2

40.9

Mercedes

Passenger Capacity

5

5

5

5

Mercedes

Front Shoulder Room (in)

55.9

55.1

55.9

55.3

Wheelbase (in)

111.2

110.6

110.2

111.8

Mercedes

Length, Overall (in)

186.8

182.5

184.3

184.5

Audi

Height, Overall (in)

55.3

56.3

56.3

56.8

Mercedes

Trunk Volume (ft³)

13

13

10.8

12.6

BMW

Disc - Rear (Yes or No )

Yes

Yes

NA

NA

Disc - Front (Yes or No)

Yes

Yes

NA

NA

Brake ABS System

4-Wheel

4-Wheel

12.2

11.8

Fuel Tank Capacity, Approx (gal)

15.3

15.8

17.4

17.4

Lexus

Steering Type

Rack-Pinion

Rack-Pinion

34.2

35.3

Base Curb Weight (lbs)

3858

3295

3583

-

SAE Net Horsepower @ RPM

354 @ 5400

180 @ 5000

241 @ 5800

241 @ 5550

Audi

Engine Type

Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded V-6

Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded I-4

Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded I-4

Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded I-4

Fuel System

Gasoline Direct Injection

Gasoline Direct Injection

Gasoline Direct Injection

Gasoline Direct Injection

Displacement

3.0 L/183

2.0 L/122

2.0 L/122

2.0 L/121

Audi

Trans Description Cont.

Automatic w/OD

Automatic w/OD

Automatic w/OD

Automatic w/OD

Drivetrain

All Wheel Drive

Rear Wheel Drive

Rear Wheel Drive

Rear Wheel Drive

Suspension Type - Front

Multi-Link

Strut

Double Wishbone

Strut

Suspension Type - Rear

Multi-Link

Multi-Link

Multi-Link

Multi-Link

Tons/yr of CO2 Emissions @ 15K mi/year

7.4

6.3

6.8

6.6

BMW

As you can see from the table that the BMW is not the leader in every category but it leads the pack where it counts. If you measure your vehicles based on overall quality, attention to detail, workmanship, safety and dependability, then you cannot do better than the BMW with its iconic grille, need we say more?